[3][4] It was designed by Simon Maupin in the Renaissance Revival style, built ashlar stone and the council held their first meeting there on 14 November 1652.

The central bay featured a square-headed doorway flanked by Ionic order columns supporting an entablature.

In the centre bay on the second floor there was a half-relief of King Louis XIV on horseback, and at roof level, there was a balustraded parapet and some finely carved sculptures, as well as a central clock tower with a dome.

[8] Following a fire on 13 September 1674,[9] the building, including its façade, was restored and modified to design by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and his pupil Robert de Cotte.

[10] In March 1793, during the French Revolution, the building was under the control of a group of counter-revolutionaries, led by Joseph Chalier, who were in revolt against the National Convention.